This article reviews issues confronting policy makers when evaluating economic benefits and costs when converting land from agricultural production to a “bioreserve” to protect and/or restore endangered ecosystems (e.g. wetlands, cypress swamps/bottom land hardwoods) while providing a flow of recreational and wildlife/ecological services. Using IMPLAN, a regional input-output model, the overall economic gains and losses from this land-use change are assessed. The results show that while a large proportion of the total economic benefits are experienced by resource suppliers outside the core region containing the bioreserve, total economic activity is expected to increase as a result of the land-use shift from agricultural production to environmental preservation.